Profile

Simone Kuhn is based at Carlson Rezidor's Africa Development office in Cape Town, South Africa. Kuhn forms part of the team responsible for growing the company's dynamic portfolio of hotels and brands in Africa and the Indian Ocean.

She has been making waves across Africa as a female leader in the business development sector within the tourism industry. In September 2017, Kuhn was recognised and awarded in the Top Hoteliers category at the AKWAABA African Travel Market's African Travel 100 Women Awards, as part of the Women in Tourism Programme.

Simone was literally born into the hotel industry, as her father served as the General Manager for Sun International Hotels & Casinos for many years under Sol Kerzner. Her own career in the hotel industry started in 2000 after being enrolled in an in-house training programme at the Savoy Hotel in London. Thereafter, Simone held management positions within hotel operations in South Africa and the United Kingdom within Relais & Châteaux and Starwood.

In December 2008, Simone decided to see the world and took up the challenge of an on-board F&B Manager for Etihad Airlines based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In May 2011 Simone joined the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and now forms part of the fasting growing hotel group in Africa looking after 10 Anglophone countries some of which include Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.